by Dan Moren
Bloomberg: Apple developing Snapchat competitor
Mark Gurman’s back with a report about Apple trying to cash in on the Snapchat phenomenon:
Now Apple is starting to develop a video sharing app that allows users to record video, apply filters and drawings to the media — much like Snapchat does — and send it to contacts or via existing social networks such as Twitter Inc., according to the people familiar with its development. The software is currently being designed to be used mostly with one hand and with the intention that video could be shot, edited, and uploaded in less than 1 minute, the people said. At least one of the prototype designs for the app would shoot video in an Instagram-like square shape, one of the people said.
I can definitely see why Apple would want to capitalize on the popularity of these features, though I was initially a little puzzled as to why it wouldn’t simply be bundled into Messages, which–as of iOS 10–also includes some video annotation abilities. But then I saw this illuminating bit later in the story:
Apple is striving for a 2017 release, the people said, adding that the project could be killed if it doesn’t meet the company’s timetable and expectations. Apple has killed potential applications mid-development in the past. For example, the company considered releasing the new Memories machine-learning based photo management feature as its own app before bundling it within the standard iPhone photos program, according to one of the people.
So, it’s certainly possible that it would start out being developed as a standalone app, and then perhaps end up folded into Messages. I guess I have a hard time imagining Apple going all in on creating a social networking app of this sort, but it’s certainly not out of the question.